Call of Duty Zombies
A co-operative survival mode against endless zombie hordes.
Direction and cinematography both by George A. Romero · via Wikipedia: Call of Duty Zombies · Public domain
Call of Duty Zombies is a cooperative game mode that appears in many Call of Duty first-person shooter games from Activision. It pits players against an endless wave of zombies, tasking them with surviving as long as possible. Points earned from kills let players buy stronger weapons and open new parts of the map. Each wave gets harder, with zombies moving faster and taking more damage. Most versions of the mode include "Perk-a-Colas" that boost player abilities and a "Pack-a-Punch" machine to upgrade weapons. Many maps also have easter eggs and quests, ranging from unlocking secret songs to advancing the mode's overarching story. The mode first appeared in *Call of Duty: World at War* (2008), made by Treyarch. Designer Jesse Snyder came up with the idea after a scrapped mode where players defended against Allied soldiers during the Normandy landings. Studio head Mark Lamia nearly canceled it because the game was behind schedule and the mode was risky, but it was included as a bonus feature unlocked after finishing the campaign. It was later made available to all players and got new maps through downloadable content. Future Call of Duty games, especially in the *Black Ops* series, added their own versions with new mechanics and continued the story. Zombies has appeared in thirteen Call of Duty games, most recently in *Call of Duty: Black Ops 7* (2025). Zombies is one of the most popular modes in the series, often a main reason players buy the games. Dedicated communities focus on its easter eggs, and *Call of Duty: Black Ops III* (2015) stayed popular five years after release thanks to the mode, even as newer versions came out. Two standalone mobile versions were released: *Call of Duty: World at War – Zombies* (2009) and *Call of Duty: Black Ops – Zombies* (2011). A standalone Zombies game was in development at Raven Software from 2011 to 2012 but was canceled. A comic book series by Justin Jordan, published by Dark Horse Comics, started in February 2016. Two soundtrack albums featuring music from the mode were released in 2011 and 2013. Zombies is a cooperative mode in Call of Duty first-person shooters, mostly in the *Black Ops* sub-series. Players face endless zombie hordes and must survive as long as they can. Killing zombies gives points to unlock new areas and buy stronger weapons.
- First appearance
- Call of Duty: World at War (2008)
- Creator
- Jesse Snyder (Treyarch designer)
- Publisher
- Activision
- Developer
- Treyarch
- Number of games featured in
- 13
- Most recent appearance
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 (2025)
- Standalone mobile versions
- Call of Duty: World at War – Zombies (2009) and Call of Duty: Black Ops – Zombies (2011)
Lore & Background
The concept for the Zombies mode was created by Treyarch designer Jesse Snyder during the development of Call of Duty: World at War. The idea originated from a scrapped mode where players would defend against Allied soldiers during the Normandy landings. Snyder took inspiration from a zombie defense Flash game, The Last Stand, and combined it with the concept of being overrun and not being able to win. A small team began working on the mode, with developers from other parts of Treyarch contributing. Studio head Mark Lamia initially tried to shut it down due to the game being behind schedule, but after playing it himself, he decided it had to be finished. An agreement was reached that the mode would not be marketed and would only be unlockable after completing the campaign, though it was later unlocked for all players after proving popular. The first map was 'Nacht der Untoten', and DLC later added maps such as 'Verrückt', which introduced Perk-a-Colas and traps.
Reader's Guide
Call of Duty Zombies is a co-operative game mode where players face an endless horde of zombies, earning points to unlock areas and buy weapons. Waves increase in difficulty, with zombies becoming faster and tougher. Features include Perk-a-Colas that upgrade abilities and the Pack-a-Punch machine for weapon upgrades. Many maps contain easter eggs and quests, ranging from secret songs to overarching storyline progression. The mode has appeared in thirteen Call of Duty games, with its most recent being Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 (2025). It is one of the most popular modes in the series, often cited as a main reason for purchasing games. Standalone mobile versions were released in 2009 and 2011. A standalone Zombies game was developed by Raven Software from 2011 to 2012 but was cancelled. A comic book series by Justin Jordan, published by Dark Horse Comics, began in February 2016. Two soundtrack albums were released in 2011 and 2013. The mode's settings span various historical periods and fantastical locations, with storylines including the Aether, Chaos, and Dark Aether narratives.
Did You Know?
- The mode was almost cancelled by studio head Mark Lamia due to development schedule concerns.
- The first Zombies map was 'Nacht der Untoten', originally known as 'Nazi Zombies'.
- A standalone Zombies game was being developed by Raven Software from 2011 to 2012 before being cancelled.
- Two soundtrack albums containing music from the mode's history were released in 2011 and 2013.
More in Characters & Operators
Elsewhere in Call of Duty
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced